Cleaning device

Abstract

Embodiments of the present disclosure relate to a cleaning device. The cleaning device includes: a surface interaction layer (ML); a clean fluid supply portion (CFF) having a clean fluid channel (CFC) provided on the surface interaction layer (ML) for supplying a clean fluid (CF) to a surface (F) through contact between the surface interaction layer (ML) and the surface (F); and a dirty fluid discharge portion (DFD) having a dirty fluid channel (DFC) provided on the surface interaction layer (ML) for discharging dirty fluid by means of negative pressure through contact between the surface interaction layer (ML) and the surface (F).

Description

[0001] This application is a divisional application of the invention patent application with international application number PCT / EP2018 / 053372, international application date February 12, 2018, priority date February 27, 2017, date of entry into the Chinese national phase on August 26, 2019, and Chinese national application number 201880014008.X. Technical Field

[0002] The invention relates to a cleaning device for example for floors or windows. Background Art

[0003] US 2010 / 0199455 discloses a steam appliance comprising a water reservoir, a water pump, and a steam generator with a vacuum function. The steam appliance includes a water pump for selectively injecting water from the reservoir into a boiler to generate steam, which is fed into a steam bag frame on which a fabric steam bag is mounted. In one configuration, the vacuum function is disabled while steam is being generated. In another configuration, when the vacuum function is activated, the heating element in the steam generator is powered at a reduced power level to reduce power consumption and keep the steam generator heated in standby mode without pumping water.

[0004] US 2010 / 0236018 discloses a cleaning appliance capable of performing two or more cleaning functions. The cleaning appliance may include a vacuum cleaner and a steam cleaner, allowing the user to vacuum clean the floor before steam cleaning the floor. Various manual switching devices may be used as a part of controlling the cleaning appliance. When providing debris removal and steam cleaning on a single cleaning appliance, operating both functions simultaneously may be undesirable because, in some cases, moisture may enter the airflow duct or dirt collector and form dirt or mud with the collected debris. The resulting confusion may reduce the effectiveness and convenience of the appliance.

[0005] US 2016 / 0213214 discloses a surface cleaning apparatus comprising a cloth placed on a porous material, a reservoir for collecting liquid absorbed by the cloth, and means for applying negative pressure in the reservoir to transfer liquid from the cloth to the reservoir.

[0006] WO 2007 / 111934 discloses an all-in-one cleaning device. It comprises a substrate structure for delivering impregnated cleaning fluid to the window being cleaned, a squeegee for displacing spent cleaning fluid away from the window, and an absorbent for collecting spent fluid (via an internal recess). The single substrate structure can provide applicator, scrubbing, and collection functions, as well as filtering and reprocessing spent cleaning fluid for further use.

[0007] DE 2649993 discloses a window cleaning tool comprising a manually guided hollow cleaning bar having one or two rubber wipers. The tool comprises a compression and suction pipe, by means of which water can be electrically pumped upward onto the window pane and then sucked away along with the dirt. The cleaning bar can be provided with a water-permeable strip on the side facing the window, which extends over the entire width but has a variable spacing from the leading edge of the rubber wipers. This allows water to be applied to the window pane and then distributed using the water-permeable strip. Thereafter, when the water is drained from the window, the water-permeable strip is retracted due to the applied suction, and the water is removed from the window using the rubber wipers, and the collected water is sucked into a tank for the used water. It is possible to use a single pipe to supply and drain the water, or to provide a single pipe for each application. Summary of the Invention

[0008] Among other things, the object of the present invention is to provide an improved cleaning device. The invention is defined by the independent claim. Advantageous embodiments are defined in the dependent claims.

[0009] By providing a surface interaction layer with a clean fluid supply and a dirty fluid discharge, a very compact arrangement can be obtained. Since the clean fluid is supplied to the surface interaction layer and since the dirty fluid is discharged from the surface interaction layer by means of negative pressure, the surface interaction layer can be relatively thin because it does not need to have a fluid storage capacity and the cleaning device does not have to be regularly dipped into a bucket to apply the clean fluid to the surface interaction layer and remove the dirty fluid from the surface interaction layer. An embodiment in which the dirty fluid is contained separately from the clean fluid provides the advantage that the surface is always cleaned with the clean fluid, as opposed to a fluid that contains an increasing amount of dirt that has been picked up from the surface. The surface interaction layer can be a surface interaction layer (e.g. a cloth) that is suitable, for example, for mopping a surface.

[0010] The surface interaction layer of the present invention is used for supplying cleaning fluid to the surface and for draining dirty fluid from the surface. It does seem that conveying cleaning fluid through the surface interaction layer is the best execution scheme for rinsing the surface interaction layer during cleaning. In contrast, the device of US 2016 / 0213214 is only used to collect liquid, while in WO 2007 / 111934, when removing fluid from the window by means of a squeegee, only the cleaning fluid delivery part of the substrate contacts the window, wherein the substrate has an inner recess (i.e., a part that does not contact the window) to collect water that has been wiped off the window by the squeegee, while the water-permeable strip of DE 2649993 is only used to supply water and is retracted when wiping off the used water from the window, in which case only the wiper contacts the window.

[0011] These and other aspects of the invention will be apparent from and elucidated with reference to the embodiments described hereinafter. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0012] Figure 1A shows a side view of a first embodiment of a cleaning device according to the invention, and Figure 1B 、 Figure 1C An alternative bottom view of the first embodiment is shown.

[0013] Figure 2A 、 Figure 2B A second embodiment of a cleaning device according to the invention is shown.

[0014] Figure 3 A third embodiment of a cleaning device according to the invention is shown.

[0015] Figure 4 and Figure 5 The diagram illustrates how a single fluid container is used to separately contain clean fluid and dirty fluid.

[0016] Figure 6 An embodiment of a vacuum cleaner provided with a cleaning device according to the invention is shown. DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0017] Figure 1A A surface F (eg a floor) with dirt D is shown, and at the top is a side view of a first embodiment of a cleaning device according to the invention.

[0018] By removing the cleaning fluid from a container (e.g. Figure 4 or Figure 5 , or a separate cleaning fluid container) to a clean fluid feed CFF (shown with the aid of dotted lines) to a clean fluid channel CFC, where a cleaning fluid (e.g., water and / or detergent) is supplied to the surface interaction layer ML, which is located on top of the perforated metal sheet MSH at the surface interaction layer ML. If gravity alone is not sufficient to supply the cleaning fluid, an optional electric (e.g., battery-operated) or manual pump can be used to pump the cleaning fluid from the cleaning fluid container, or air can be pumped into the cleaning fluid container to force the cleaning fluid out of the container and into the surface interaction layer ML. For components suitable for supplying the cleaning fluid (particularly the perforated metal strip), reference is made to WO 2016 / 062649, which is incorporated herein by reference.

[0019] By means of the dirty fluid channel DFC at the surface interaction layer ML, the dirty fluid is discharged from the surface interaction layer ML. In one embodiment, the dirty fluid channel DFC may be provided with a porous plastic layer PP to recover the dirty fluid. The dirty fluid channel DFC is connected to a dirty fluid container (e.g., a container) via a dirty fluid drain DFD. Figure 4 , or a separate dirty fluid container). An electric (e.g., battery-operated) or manual pump can be used to pump dirty fluid into the dirty fluid container, or to pump air out of the dirty fluid container, to create a negative pressure in the dirty fluid container. Doing so will allow for continuous drainage while the surface is being cleaned. For components suitable for draining dirty fluid, reference is made to US 2016 / 0213214, which is incorporated herein by reference.

[0020] The surface interaction layer ML, the clean fluid channel CFC and the dirty fluid channel DFC may all have a longitudinal shape, Figure 1A A side view of the longitudinal shape is shown.

[0021] Figure 1A The cleaning device may take the form of a wand-based device, where the containers for the clean and dirty fluids are mounted on the wand or a portion of the wand, along with any necessary pumps. Alternatively, the containers and pumps may be located just above the surface interaction layer, in which case the surface interaction structure will be thicker, but the wand will have no liquid containers.

[0022] if Figure 1A If the cleaning device is moved to the right, the cleaning fluid applied by the cleaning fluid channel CFC in the center will help to release the dirt D from the surface F, while the dirty fluid will be discharged through the dirty fluid discharge unit DFC at the left hand end of the cleaning device. Figure 1A If the cleaning device is moved to the left, the cleaning fluid applied by the clean fluid channel CFC in the center will help to release the dirt, while the dirty fluid will be discharged through the dirty fluid channel DFC at the right hand end of the cleaning device.

[0023] In a preferred embodiment, the surface interaction layer ML is made of a material which, by itself, ensures that water is extracted, and in this case, the porous plastic layer PP below the dirty fluid channel DFC can be omitted. A cloth which is best able to maintain the negative pressure caused by, for example, a dirty fluid pump in the dirty fluid channel DFC (when wetted) would appear to be most suitable for draining the dirty fluid from the surface F. If the pores in the wet cloth mounted on the cleaning device are too large, the negative pressure caused by the dirty fluid pump would escape too easily, leaving insufficient suction to drain the dirty fluid from the surface F. Suitable materials for the surface interaction layer ML appear to be deerskin or artificial microfiber deerskin. For an overview of similarly suitable chamois leathers, see https: / / en.wikipedia.org / wiki / Chamois_leatherIn tests, natural suede (e.g. sold as "Handycleannatuurzeem") or microfiber suede appear to be suitable materials. A very suitable product appears to be the Momba professional cleaning cloth, which uses microfibers covered with polyurethane, such as http: / / www.mombapro.nl / microvezel- kennis / momba-microvezels.html Very fine sponge-like materials may also have properties suitable for use as a surface interaction layer ML, which may be used for mopping surfaces such as floors or windows.

[0024] The dirty fluid channel DFC may be provided with, for example, a metal mesh having holes of, for example, 1 mm in diameter, for supporting the surface interaction layer ML and preventing the metal mesh from being sucked into the cleaning device due to the negative pressure applied to drain the dirty fluid. Alternatively, an array of plastic pillars may be used to support the surface interaction layer ML.

[0025] Figure 1B Shown Figure 1A A first alternative bottom view of an embodiment of the present invention, wherein the clean fluid channels CFC and the dirty fluid channels DFC1-2 are arranged perpendicular to the Figure 1A The dirty fluid channels DFC1-2 are provided with a support layer SL, which can be any one of the above-mentioned porous plastic layer PP, a metal mesh or a plurality of pillars.

[0026] Figure 1C Shown Figure 1A A second alternative bottom view of an embodiment of the present invention, wherein the clean fluid channel CFC and the dirty fluid channel DFC are each formed by a plurality of holes rather than by a plurality of holes. Figure 1B The elongated channels are formed in the

[0027] Figure 2A 、 Figure 2B A second embodiment of the cleaning device according to the invention is shown. This embodiment is based on the following recognition: Figure 1A 1 is moved to the right, dirt on the surface F may stick to the right-hand end of the surface interaction layer ML without being wetted by the clean fluid channels CFC in the center and not being discharged by the dirty fluid channels DFC at the left-hand end of the surface interaction layer ML. If the cleaning device of FIG. 1 is then moved to the left, the dirt collected at the right-hand end of the surface interaction layer ML may be spread over the surface F again, resulting in a less than ideal cleaning result. The same situation may occur when the cleaning device of FIG. 1 is moved to the left: dirt on the surface F may stick to the left-hand end of the surface interaction layer ML, and when Figure 1A The cleaning device is released onto surface F when it moves to the right again.

[0028] In view of this, Figure 2A 、 Figure 2B The embodiment of has no flat bottom, but a triangular bottom, so that in each direction of movement, half of the bottom (either ML1 or ML2, but not both) ensures that the surface F is wetted first and that dirt can be drained away thereafter. Obviously, in a rather schematic manner, Figure 2A A clear triangular shape is shown with a sharp edge in the middle, in reality a more rounded shape may exist. Also, with regard to the angle between the two halves ML1, ML2, it is important that the angle is such that only the bottom half (either ML1 or ML2, but not both) interacts with the surface F during movement.

[0029] Figure 2A The top section of FIG shows the principle of a second embodiment of the cleaning device. Clean fluid CF is supplied at the left and right hand sides shown with interrupted lines, while dirty fluid DF is discharged at the two middle sections shown with straight lines. For each of these four sections, the technical implementation can be the same as described above with reference to FIG1 . Another difference from FIG1 is that Figure 2A The cleaning device can be tilted because it is mounted with the aid of axis A.

[0030] Figure 2A The middle section shows what will happen if the device is moved to the right. Naturally, as a result of this movement, the right-hand half ML1 of the triangle base will contact the surface F, which ensures that the surface F is first wetted with the clean fluid CF and that the dirty fluid DF is then drained away.

[0031] A similar effect occurs if the cleaning device is moved to the left, e.g. Figure 2A As a result of this movement, of course, the left-hand half ML2 of the triangle base will contact the surface F, which again ensures that the surface F is first wetted with the clean fluid CF and that the dirty fluid is thereafter drained away.

[0032] Since, in both directions of movement, the wetted portion of the cleaning device (shown with a broken line) comes into contact with the dirt first, such dirt will merge with the cleaning fluid CF and the resulting dirty fluid DF will be absorbed, and less dirt will remain stuck to the surface interaction layer. As a result, the cleaning results of the embodiment of FIG2 will be even better than those of the embodiment of FIG1.

[0033] Figure 2B Shown Figure 2A A bottom view of an embodiment of the present invention. Figure 2B, the dashed line represents the transition between the halves ML1, ML2 of the surface interaction layer ML. The clean fluid channels CFC1, CFC2 are located at the outer ends, and the dirty fluid channels DFC1, DFC2 are located in the middle, near the transition between the halves ML1, ML2 represented by the dashed line. In an embodiment, the dirty fluid channels DFC1, DFC2 can be formed by a single dirty fluid channel that bridges the transition.

[0034] Figure 3 A third embodiment of a cleaning device according to the invention is shown, which is based on the embodiment of FIG. Figure 3 In the embodiment of the invention, the surface interaction layer ML comprises two alternating sublayers, namely: fine microfibers FMF, which are able to generate negative pressure and optimally dry the surface F; and coarse microfibers CMF. In the center, coarse microfibers CMF are used as a filler to make the entire surface interaction layer ML more flexible and able to follow surface inhomogeneities better than in the case of using only fine microfibers FMF. Line L shows that the surface of the entire surface interaction layer is essentially straight, but it consists of different segments. For optimal functionality, it is important that there are as few leaks as possible in the surface interaction layer ML. For this purpose, Figure 3 In the embodiment of the invention, the total surface interaction layer ML comprises a piece of chamois leather FMF. The outer edge is provided with coarser microfibers CMF which are able to capture certain coarse dirt such as sand, at which the outer edge is provided with a cleaning fluid supply unit ( Figure 3 The rough microfibers (not shown) are used to supply the clean fluid. The rough microfibers tend to be very soft, so that they can follow the unevenness in the surface F. Since the fine microfiber FMF chamois is much stronger, the rough microfiber CMF can compensate for this. In order to compensate for the height difference caused by the outer rough microfiber CMF, the dirty fluid DF is discharged by means of the dirty fluid discharge unit ( Figure 3 In the center where the rough microfiber CMF is drained (not shown in the figure), some coarse microfiber CMF is also placed under the fine microfiber FMF chamois. In this way, the fine microfiber FMF mop chamois will still dry the surface F as before, but the entire surface interaction layer ML is softer due to the rough microfiber CMF segments, allowing the surface interaction layer ML to follow the unevenness of the surface. In case the rough microfiber CMF is used only as a filling layer, i.e. in case dirty fluid is drained, it can be replaced by other suitable filling materials that allow dirty fluid to pass through. Figure 3 Where a continuous fine microfibre FMF layer is shown, it is possible to alternatively have 3 separate segments (thus, Figure 3The discontinuities where the layers CMF and FMF cross each other are shown), provided that the fine microfiber layer FMF then has an airtight connection with the black mop body, otherwise no dirty fluid could be sucked from the surface, because the negative pressure caused by, for example, a dirty fluid pump would simply leak away.

[0035] Figure 4 The first way of using a single fluid container is shown, for separately containing the clean fluid CF and the dirty fluid DF. This is desirable because it allows the device to be slimmer, as only a single container is required, rather than two containers. In use, as Figure 4 As shown in the leftmost picture of the embodiment, clean fluid CF is supplied from the bottom of the fluid container, while dirty fluid is put into the container from the top with the help of a dirty fluid pump (not shown). Between the two sections is a piston P, which moves downward when clean fluid CF is supplied from the fluid container. Figure 4 As shown in the second picture of FIG, when all the clean fluid CF in the fluid container has been supplied from the fluid container, the piston P is at the bottom, and the dirty fluid DF is on top of the piston P. Then, the dirty fluid DF is poured out from the container, and then, the clean fluid CF is put into the container and on top of the piston P, as shown in FIG. Figure 4 Finally, as shown in the third picture of Figure 4 As shown in the rightmost picture of the embodiment, the fluid container is turned upside down and mounted again in the cleaning device so that it can be cleaned again as shown in the rightmost picture of the embodiment. Figure 4 Use it as shown in the leftmost picture.

[0036] Figure 5 An alternative approach of using a single fluid container to separately contain the clean fluid CF and the dirty fluid DF is shown. Figure 5 In the embodiment of the present invention, the portion for the clean fluid CF is separated from the portion for the dirty fluid DF by a flexible bladder B (ie elastic or at least flexible walls) which can be deformed depending on the amount of fluid / pressure on both sides of the bladder B. Figure 5 The three pictures in show, from left to right, the following various situations: an initial situation, in which the fluid container is filled with only clean fluid CF; an intermediate situation, in which the fluid container contains both clean fluid CF and dirty fluid DF, which are separated by bladder B; and a final situation, in which the fluid container contains only dirty fluid DF.

[0037] Figure 6 An embodiment of a vacuum cleaner VC provided with a cleaning device CD according to the invention is shown. The cleaning device CD may be as described above and is attached to the nozzle N of the vacuum cleaner VC. Along the wand of the vacuum cleaner are mounted containers for the clean fluid CF and the dirty fluid DF together with any necessary pumps. Although Figure 5A combination with a canister-based vacuum cleaner VC is suggested, but a combination with a robotic vacuum cleaner is alternatively possible. In the latter case, since a robotic vacuum cleaner usually moves only forwards during cleaning operation, and not back and forth, it is sufficient for the cleaning device to be provided with only a single clean fluid channel and a single dirty fluid channel behind the clean channel.

[0038] It should be noted that the above-described embodiments illustrate rather than limit the invention, and that a person skilled in the art will be able to design many alternative embodiments without departing from the scope of the appended claims. Although a first application of the invention is to clean surfaces such as floors or windows, an alternative application would be in wound treatment: the surface would then be the skin, and the cleaning fluid could then contain a suitable wound treatment fluid, including, for example, a disinfectant and / or an antibiotic. This could reduce the number of times a bandage has to be changed, thereby shortening healing time. In the claims, any reference numerals placed between brackets should not be construed as limiting the claim. The word "comprising" does not exclude the presence of elements or steps other than those listed in the claim. The word "a" or "an" preceding an element does not exclude the presence of a plurality of such elements. In a device claim enumerating several means, several of these means may be embodied by the same item of hardware. The simple fact that certain measures are recited in mutually different dependent claims does not indicate that a combination of these measures cannot be used to advantage.

Claims

1. A cleaning device comprising: a cleaning fluid supply portion (CFF) provided with a cleaning fluid channel (CFC) for supplying a cleaning fluid (CF) to the surface (F); and characterized in that, A dirty fluid discharge portion (DFD) is provided with a dirty fluid channel (DFC) for discharging the dirty fluid (DF) from the surface (F) by means of negative pressure, wherein The cleaning fluid supply portion (CFF) is provided with a first cleaning fluid channel (CFC1) and a second cleaning fluid channel (CFC2) parallel to the dirty fluid channel, and the first cleaning fluid channel (CFC1) and the second cleaning fluid channel (CFC2) are not in the same plane, whereby the cleaning device is arranged to: in a first movement direction of the cleaning device, the surface (F) is wetted by the first cleaning fluid channel (CFC1) and the surface is drained by the dirty fluid channel, while the second cleaning fluid channel (CFC2) does not contact the surface; and in a second movement direction of the cleaning device, the surface is wetted by the second cleaning fluid channel (CFC2) and the surface is drained by the dirty fluid channel, while the first cleaning fluid channel (CFC1) does not contact the surface.

2. A cleaning device according to claim 1, wherein the first part (ML1) of the surface interaction layer is provided with the first clean fluid channel (CFC1) and the dirty fluid channel, and the second part (ML2) of the surface interaction layer is provided with the second clean fluid channel (CFC2) and the dirty fluid channel, wherein the first clean fluid channel (CFC1), the second clean fluid channel (CFC2) and the dirty fluid channel are not all in the same plane, wherein the first part (ML1) of the surface interaction layer is arranged to clean the surface in the first movement direction, and the second part (ML2) of the surface interaction layer is arranged to clean the surface in the second movement direction.

3. The cleaning device according to claim 1 , wherein the dirty fluid discharge portion (DFD) is provided with a first dirty fluid channel (DFC1) and a second dirty fluid channel (DFC2), the first dirty fluid channel and the second dirty fluid channel being located at opposite sides of the clean fluid channel (CFC) and being parallel to the clean fluid channel (CFC). 4 . The cleaning device according to claim 1 , wherein the cleaning fluid supply portion (CFF) is provided with a cleaning fluid container for supplying the cleaning fluid (CF) to the cleaning fluid channel (CFC).

5. The cleaning device according to claim 1 , wherein the dirty fluid discharge (DFD) is provided with a dirty fluid container and a pressure difference applying device for transferring dirty fluid (DF) from the surface (F) to the dirty fluid container.

6. The cleaning device according to any one of claims 1 to 3, wherein the surface interaction layer (ML) is made of suede or microfiber.

7. Cleaning device according to claim 6, wherein the surface interaction layer (ML) is made of microfibers with a polyurethane coating.

8. A cleaning device according to claim 6, wherein the surface interaction layer (FMF, CMF) comprises fine microfibers (FMF) and coarse microfibers (CMF), wherein the fine microfibers (FMF) are arranged for contacting the surface, wherein the dirty fluid (DF) is discharged from the surface, and the coarse microfibers (CMF) are arranged for contacting the surface, wherein the cleaning fluid (CF) is supplied to the surface.

9. The cleaning device of claim 8, wherein a coarse microfiber (CMF) layer is located between the dirty fluid discharge unit and a fine microfiber (FMF) layer arranged to contact the surface, and wherein the fine microfiber (FMF) layer is located between the clean fluid supply unit and the coarse microfiber (CMF) layer arranged to contact the surface.

10. The cleaning device according to any one of claims 1 to 3, further comprising a single fluid container to supply the cleaning fluid (CF) and to collect the dirty fluid (DF).

11. A vacuum cleaner provided with the cleaning device according to any one of claims 1 to 10.

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